USA: Entry Clearances

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he and other Ministers in his Department have had with US administration representatives on the issuing of US visas to people with HIV/AIDS; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: While the UK generally regards a third country's immigration policy as solely a domestic matter for the country involved, officials have previously raised the subject of US entry clearance procedures for individuals with HIV/AIDS with both the US State Department and the US embassy in London and will continue to do so in the future. I will also look for an early opportunity to raise this matter with the US authorities.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has made an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 3 Diseases Fund for Burma.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) closely monitors the performance of the Three Diseases Fund and participated in the fund's first annual review meeting on 1-2 April 2008. This meeting reviewed the fund's overall performance and identified its achievements, areas where strengthening is required, and policy and programme priorities for the next year. The meeting was attended by 156 representatives of donors, United Nations agencies, international and local non-governmental organisations, and the Burmese Ministry of Health.
	Further details of the fund board's conclusions and recommendations from the meeting are set out in an aide-mémoire which is available on the Three Diseases Fund website:
	www.3dfund.org.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department provided to Mae Tao clinic in Mae Sot, on the Thai-Burma border, in each of the last three years.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has recently approved funding of £100,000 for the Mae Tao Clinic for 2008-09. This money will be used for medicines, supplies and equipment critical for the clinic's medical work. This is the first DFID grant direct to the clinic.
	The Mae Tao Clinic has also received grants from the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), to which DFID contributes.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the environmental transformation fund will be allocated to steps aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries; and of this how much will be by  (a) grants,  (b) loans and  (c) via the World Bank multi-donor fund.

Gareth Thomas: The final allocations of the environmental transformation fund - international window (ETF-IW) have yet to be decided. Decisions about resource allocations (including for forestry) will be agreed by relevant ministers through an HMG Governance Board (which includes DEFRA, DFID and HMT).
	To date, £50 million of the ETF-IW has been committed to the Congo Basin Fund. We also expect the UK's £15 million contribution to the Forest Carbon Partnership Fund to be funded by the ETF-IW. This would all be in the form of grants, made through the World Bank administered multi-donor Climate Investment Funds.
	We are also supporting the establishment of a wider programme on Forestry as part of these funds. This is still in the early stages of development, but progress on the design will be made towards the end of this year.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the World Bank on raising its level of support for renewable energy projects in the developing world.

Gareth Thomas: The World Bank Group in 2004 announced they would increase financial support for renewable energy and energy efficiency by an average of at least 20 per cent. a year between 2005 and 2009. This target has been exceeded, with commitments on renewable energy, excluding large hydropower, increasing from $192 million in 2004 to $421 million in 2007.
	In 2007, we asked the World Bank to increase their level of ambition. We have called for them to further develop and promote transitions to low carbon energy supplies, including by increased support for affordable, efficient and renewable energy. The World Bank's Clean Energy Investment Framework aims to expand access to modern energy and help countries take up low-carbon solutions to their energy needs. Increasing the use of renewable energy is part of these objectives and we will continue to encourage the World Bank to do more. We are supporting the World Bank in the implementation of the framework.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much was pledged at the Yemen donor's conference held in 2006 in London; and how much funding has been collected from those that pledged money at the conference;
	(2)  how many of the countries that pledged aid at the Yemen donor's conference held in 2006 in London have given all of the aid pledged;
	(3)  what steps the Government has taken to encourage countries and organisations that pledged aid to Yemen at the 2006 donor conference in London to provide it.

Shahid Malik: $4.746 billion was pledged at the Yemen Consultative Group (CG) meeting in 2006 of which $2.786 billion was in grant aid and $1960 million was in soft lending. Since then additional pledges have come in from France, Spain, the USA, Denmark and the Arab Fund taking combined 'CG pledges' to $5.312 billion.
	The Government of Yemen (GoY) has not published overall donor disbursement figures for the period since the Yemen CG meeting. The most complete and recent data shows donor disbursements of $292.18 million to Yemen for calendar year 2007. This does not cover all those donors who made pledges at the CG meeting notably Arab donors who made significant pledges. All donor funds pledged were multi-annual and spread over several years so we would not expect full disbursement at this stage.
	The UK continues to support GoY efforts to encourage donors to disburse their pledges against agreed timetables through our ongoing engagement in GoY-donor dialogue, for example, the twice yearly 'Consultative Group Stocktake Meetings'. The UK has played a particular role in encouraging greater dialogue between Arab donors and OECD donors to promote all donors to deliver their CG pledge commitments. We are supporting the Aid Harmonisation and Alignment (AHA) Unit within the Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation which leads on 'Consultative Group' pledge follow up within its broader mandate to promote greater aid effectiveness in Yemen.

Yemen: Poverty

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of Yemen's ability to fulfil its poverty targets for 2008.

Shahid Malik: The Government of Yemen's third Socio-Economic Plan for Poverty Reduction (SEDPPR) 2006 to 2010 aims to reduce poverty rates to 19.5 per cent. by 2010. However it contains no specific targets for 2008. A mid point review of the SEDPPR is due to be completed by September 2008, and will show whether Yemen is on track to meet its 2010 targets.
	The UK helped to fund a poverty assessment based on a household budget survey which was undertaken in 2005-06 by the Government of Yemen, the World Bank and UNDP. This assessment demonstrated that poverty rates have declined from 40.1 per cent. in 1998 to 34.8 per cent. in 2005. However recent World Bank figures estimate that these gains may have been fully reversed due to inflation and high food prices.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what sports facilities are due to be constructed on the Olympic Park; what sports each will host during the 2012 Olympic Games; who the contractor and what the budget is for each; and what progress has been made on construction of each.

Tessa Jowell: There will be five permanent venues in the Olympic Park: the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Handball Arena, the VeloPark and Eton Manor.
	The Olympic Stadium is being constructed by Team McAlpine, a consortium made up of Sir Robert McAlpine, HOK Sport and Buro Happold, and the budget—as announced in October 2007—remains at the contract price £496 million. This venue will host all Olympic and Paralympic track and field events as well as being the finish point for the Marathon and the start and finish points for the Racewalk. Construction of the Olympic Stadium commenced in May 2008.
	The Aquatics Centre is being constructed by UK firm Balfour Beatty and the budget, as announced in April, is £242 million. The venue will host Olympic swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon swimming events and Paralympic swimming events. Planning permission has been granted for the Aquatics Centre. Balfour Beatty took possession of the site in June 2008 and construction work is on track to commence in the next two months.
	The Handball Arena will host handball events, as well as modern pentathlon fencing during the Olympic Games and goalball events during the Paralympic Games. The budget for the Handball Arena is in line with the overall venues budget already announced but further budget details cannot be released as sensitive commercial negotiations continue. The Olympic Delivery Authority expects to appoint a contractor for the Handball Arena in early 2009, ready for construction to start in the summer of 2009.
	The Eton Manor site will host the Paralympic archery and wheelchair tennis events programme and provide athletes training facilities during the Games. As a contractor is yet to be appointed, budget details for this venue cannot yet be released but it remains within the budget for venues already announced. Stanton Williams were awarded the contract to design the venue in April 2008 and construction is due to begin in early 2010.
	The VeloPark, of which the Velodrome is the main component, will host the Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events and the adjacent BMX circuit will host the BMX events. The budget for the VeloPark is £80 million. A consortium made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP and Grant Associates has been chosen to design the VeloPark and construction is due to begin in 2009. The contract for the Velodrome was awarded to ISG InteriorExterior in May 2008.
	A number of sports, including basketball, waterpolo, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, will take place in temporary venues on the Olympic Park. The budgets for these facilities are included in the venues budget as announced at the end of 2007 and building contractors have yet to be appointed.
	LOCOG have responsibility for the construction of a temporary hockey centre on the Olympic Park that will host hockey and paralympic football competitions.

Tourism

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the productivity rate in the tourism industry was in each year since 2002.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 5 June 2008
	Productivity data for the tourism and leisure industry is estimated from the Annual Business Inquiry, run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
	The table shows the annual percentage productivity changes in the tourism and leisure industry from 2002 onwards.
	
		
			  Annual percentage productivity changes 2002 - 06 
			  Tourism and Leisure Industry  Percentage 
			 2002 3.3 
			 2003 -0.1 
			 2004 1.9 
			 2005 0.4 
			 2006(1) 3.1 
			 (1) 2006 figures are provisional with the final figures being published in June 2008.  Source:  Department for Culture, Media and Sport using data from the Annual Business Inquiry (ONS). 
		
	
	For full details on how the PSA is measured, see the technical note 2005 to 2008 PSA Technical note (Revised) on the DCMS website
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/3587.aspx.

Early Day Motions: Internet

Lynne Jones: To ask the Leader of the House for what reasons it is not possible for hon. Members to e-table early day motions.

Helen Goodman: This matter was considered by the Procedure Committee in its first report of session 2006-07 (HC 513) on public petitions and early day motions (paragraphs 93-96). Given the formal nature of an early day motion and concerns about authentication of electronic tabling, the Committee considered that Members were not unduly constrained by present procedures for tabling and signing EDMs in this respect. They concluded that they could not recommend the introduction of e-tabling for EDMs. The House endorsed this approach in its debate on the Committee's Report on 25 October 2007.

Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister what the Ministerial duties and responsibilities of the Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household are.

Gordon Brown: I refer my hon. Friend to the House of Commons Standard Note: SN/PC/2829. Copies are available on the Parliament website and in the Library of the House.

Departmental Responsibilities

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 806W, on departmental responsibilities, when the Government plan to issue a formal response to the consultation on the Equality Bill's proposals.

Barbara Follett: The Government have been developing policy in light of the responses to consultation on the Equality Bill's proposals. A formal response to the consultation will be issued as soon as policy proposals have been finalised and agreed.

Discrimination

David Drew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans she has to eradicate multiple discrimination.

Barbara Follett: Views on multiple discrimination were received in response to the Government's consultation on proposals for the Equality Bill. These are currently being considered and will be included in the Government's response to the consultation which will be issued in due course.

Children: Maintenance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed by the Child Support Agency was in the last period for which figures are available. [Official Report, 30 June 2008, Vol. 478, c. 5MC.]

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Susan Park, dated 9 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently on annual leave, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed with the Child Support Agency is.
	Robust information on the length of arrears repayment schedules is not held centrally and to obtain it would involve additional examination of all relevant cases. The information required to answer this question cannot therefore be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Agency has introduced tougher enforcement measures through its Operational Improvement Plan, launched in April 2006. If the Agency cannot secure immediate repayment in full from the non-resident parent, it aims to reach agreements that will see arrears paid back within two years wherever possible.
	The Agency collected or arranged more than £1 billion in maintenance in the twelve months to March 2008, of which £126m was arrears. This is almost twice the £68 million of arrears collected in the year to March 2006 before the full introduction of the Operational Improvement Plan.

Jobcentre Plus: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which local authorities have been consulted on proposed jobcentre plus closures.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 9 June 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which Local Authorities have been consulted on proposed Jobcentre Plus office closures. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus has undergone significant transformation over the last 5 years. During this transformation our approach to closure of a customer-facing Jobcentre Plus office has been to take into account, for example, the impact closure may have on customer service, whether the work and staff can be relocated and what the savings might be in relation to the costs of closure. Consultation with local stakeholders is an integral part of the planning process and we are committed to full consultation with our customers, partner organisations, Local Authorities, Trade Unions and staff, and local Members of Parliament in advance of implementing site closures.
	I attach a list of Jobcentre Plus offices that received ministerial approval for closure following consultation and a copy has been placed in the Library. The list includes the relevant Local Authorities consulted.
	I am also gathering information on offices that are either currently undergoing consultation on proposed closure or have recently completed a closure consultation exercise and will send you a further response with these details by the end of May 2008. These details will also be placed in the Library.

Lorries

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of domestic heavy goods vehicle trade was accounted for by non-UK registered and operated vehicles in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Data for the last 12 months are not available. The latest available data, published by Eurostat for 2006, show that 1.1 per cent. of domestic road freight activity was transported by non-UK registered vehicles.

Royal Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what funding her Department and its predecessors provided for each official overseas visit by  (a) HM the Queen and  (b) other members of the Royal Family in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what arrangements there are for the apportionment of costs in relation to official travel overseas by members of the Royal Family between her Department, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The costs of all official overseas visits undertaken by members of the royal family are met by the grant in aid for royal travel by air and rail. An annual report on the grant in aid is published each June as part of the Royal Household Report on Royal Public Finances. Copies of the report—which includes an appendix detailing all official overseas visits undertaken by members of the royal family are placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report for 2007-08 will be issued later this month.

Trailers: EU Action

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the provisions of the draft EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval Directive on small trailer manufacturers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 5 June 2008
	Our proposals for implementing EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EU Directive 2007/46/EC) are currently out for consultation.
	Our latest assessment shows that the average cost to the small trailer industry will be:
	£4.27 million/annum if we introduce European schemes only; or
	£1.99 million/annum if we introduce both European schemes and National Approval schemes
	Our assessment has been made in close conjunction with industry and key stakeholders and is set out in more detail in the draft impact assessment at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/typeapprovalconsultation

Members: Correspondence

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letter of 11 March 2008 on Post Office Ltd. and financial aid to closed post offices in Hampshire.

Gareth Thomas: My hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Mr. McFadden) responded to the right hon. Member on 19 May.

Children in Care

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children under 16 years are in care homes in  (a) Leeds West constituency,  (b) Leeds Metropolitan District and  (c) the UK.

Kevin Brennan: Information is only available on children looked after who are placed in care homes by Leeds local authority; this covers the same area as Leeds metropolitan district.
	Information on the number of children under 16 years who were in care homes in Leeds local authority at 31 March 2007 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Children looked after under the age of 16 at 31 March in Children's Homes 2007( 1, 2) 
			  England  Number 
			  England 3,500 
			 Children's Homes regulations  
			 inside Council boundary 1,900 
			 outside Council boundary 1,600 
			   
			  Leeds LA 80 
			 Children's Homes regulations  
			 inside Council boundary 80 
			 outside Council boundary — 
			 (1) SSDA903 return on children looked after. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements and children looked after in secure homes and hostels.

Children: Alcoholic Drinks

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to inform parents of the relationship between under-age drinking and young people becoming  (a) involved in and  (b) a victim of a crime; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 4 June 2008
	Alcohol consumption is one of the key factors associated with young people committing offences as well as being victims of crime, and is an important focus of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan the Government published on 2 June 2008.
	Parents are a crucial influence over young people's attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol. This is why the Youth Alcohol Action Plan drives forward actions to develop a partnership with parents on Young People and Alcohol.
	As part of the Action Plan, we will be issuing guidance to parents around young people and alcohol as well as targeting them with a communications campaign which aims to equip them with the knowledge they need to guide their children towards low risk drinking.
	The Action Plan also sets out measures to tackle Young Peoples drinking in public places—particularly when this is associated with antisocial behaviour.

Children: Disadvantaged

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of the 10-year child care strategy on children who are most disadvantaged.

Beverley Hughes: The Government's Ten Year Childcare Strategy, Choice for parents, the best start for children, aims to ensure that every child gets the best start in life and that parents have more choice about how to balance work and family life. It will help to reduce child poverty and the achievement gap between the most disadvantaged children and their peers.
	The Strategy will transform services by creating a strong, multi-agency, high quality universal infrastructure for all young children and families, but with additional help and support targeted on disadvantaged families who benefit most from high quality early years and childcare provision.
	Just a third of the way into the Strategy, we are ahead of schedule in establishing a new infrastructure. 2,907 multi-agency Sure Start Children's Centres have opened, offering services to over 2.2 million young children and their families. Almost all of those living in disadvantaged communities now have access to one. There are over 10,500 extended schools (two in five of the total) delivering access to the full core offer with many more schools delivering parts of the offer. 95 per cent. of three and four-year-olds are taking up the free part-time early education entitlement and some 13,000 disadvantaged two-year-olds in 32 local authorities have benefited from access to free early education. The assessments of childcare sufficiency that all local authorities have completed under the Childcare Act 2006 have given them a clear idea of the demand for childcare in their areas, its supply and any gaps between the two, to meet their duty of securing sufficient childcare for working parents.
	We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our policies through research and have a number of ongoing evaluations and data collections to monitor progress and inform the development of new policies. The latest National Evaluation of Sure Start research, published on 4 March, highlighted very clearly that Sure Start programmes are having a positive impact in some of the country's most disadvantaged communities, improving young children's development and strengthening the skills of parents so that they can provide a better home learning environment, helping prepare children to do well at school and make the most of their talents.

Cancer

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the East of England Strategic Health Authority on the accuracy of information used in the consultation on head and neck cancer services in Ipswich Hospital;
	(2)  if he will ask the East of England Strategic Health Authority to investigate the accuracy of the information provided by Suffolk Primary Care Trust in the consultation on head and neck cancer services in Ipswich Hospital;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Minister for the East of England on the impact of proposals for the reorganisation of oncology services in that region, with particular reference to the effects on patients in Ipswich and the surrounding areas.

Ann Keen: The Department has not had any discussions with the East of England strategic health authority (SHA) regarding the accuracy of information used in the consultation over the head and neck cancer services in Ipswich hospital and has not had any discussions with the Minister for the East of England (Barbara Follett) in relation to the impact of proposals for the reorganisation of oncology services in that region.
	The issues that the hon. Member raises are for the local national health service and the Anglia Cancer Network. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible within the NHS for commissioning and funding appropriate health services for their resident populations. The hon. Member may therefore wish to discuss his concerns with the chief executives of Suffolk PCT and East of England SHA.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether primary care trusts are able to commission head and neck cancer services from units that are not considered compliant with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Improving Outcomes Guidance.

Ann Keen: We would not expect commissioners to commission cancer services from trusts that are not compliant with Improving Outcomes Guidance.
	Improving Outcomes Guidance were produced by clinical experts. The guidance sets out recommendations on how services for cancer patients should be organised to ensure the best outcomes for patients.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who has responsibility for deciding whether a head and neck cancer unit is compliant with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Improving Outcomes Guidance.

Ann Keen: The cancer action team confirm whether or not a head and neck cancer unit is compliant with the Improving Outcomes Guidance.
	In addition, through the National Cancer Peer Review Programme, cancer networks' services are assessed against a series of measures related to each set of Improving Outcomes Guidance. This process provides a means to assess the quality of cancer services provided by each cancer network and ensure all areas are brought up to the level of the best.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of advice given by the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists when formulating policies relating to head and neck cancer.

Ann Keen: The British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists were stakeholders in the development of guidance by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on "Improving Outcome in Head and Neck Cancers". The Guidance was published in 2004.
	Stakeholders are consulted throughout the guidance development process. They are involved at the beginning of the process when the scope of the guidance is being established and in commenting on the draft versions of the guidance.

Community Nurses

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2163W, on community nurses, when the interim evaluation report for the Family Nurse Partnership Pilot Project's first year will be published.

Ann Keen: holding answer 22 May 2008
	 We expect the interim evaluation report for the Family Nurse Partnership programme to be published on the research website for the Department of Children, Schools and Families shortly.

Diabetes: Health Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government's report on progress in attaining the National Service Framework standards for diabetes will be published.

Ann Keen: We are planning to publish our progress report on the National Diabetes Service Framework during summer 2008.

Epilepsy: Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support his Department provided for National Epilepsy Week 2008.

Ann Keen: The Department has not funded the National Epilepsy week.

Health Services: Children

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correlation there is between the Children's National Service Framework and the Children's Plan; what plans he has to review the former; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The "National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services" (the NSF) concentrates on the health and wellbeing of children, whereas the "Children's Plan: Building brighter futures" is about ensuring that Britain is the best country in the world in which to be a child. There will also be a Child Health Strategy, which will not supersede the NSF but be about ensuring the implementation of the standards already set out in the NSF. Increasingly, local authorities and primary care trusts will be judged on their implementation of the NSF. Copies of both the NSF and the "Children's Plan" are available in the Library.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Westbury of 2 April 2008,  Official Report, column 937W, on armed forces: influenza, when the Pandemic Influenza Guide was published; which  (a) Government Departments and  (b) other interested parties he consulted in producing the guide; to whom the guide has been distributed; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The development of the MOD Pandemic Flu Guide (renamed the Framework in 2008) has been an ongoing activity since November 2005, and was first issued in May 2006. The requirement is to ensure that the MOD has a robust approach to its contingency planning to deal with the general pandemic risk and to reinforce this with selective measures to protect critical activities or those judged to be especially at risk. As the Guide/Framework is a live document, it has been subject to continuous updates and revisions, with the latest version issued in February 2008. Updated versions of the Framework (together with supporting leaflets) are distributed to top level budget holders (TLBs) and trading funds as and when these become available. A "work in progress" copy of the Framework (and some supporting leaflets) has recently been placed in the Library.
	Development of the MOD Pandemic Flu Guide/Framework has been undertaken by the Flu Sub-Group (composed of expertise drawn from different organisations across the Central TLB and wider Defence community) and the participation of MOD personnel (civilian and military) in activities, work streams and exercises co-ordinated by the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS). MOD personnel also support the Department of Health (DH) and Health Protection Agency (HPA) Programme Board in creating the national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic. Taken together this involvement ensures MOD influenza pandemic planning accords with cross-Government influenza contingency preparations.